New York City Mayor Admits Shortcomings During Winter Storm, Snowgate?
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, admitted shortcomings in the street cleaning efforts during this week’s winter storm. Could this become “snowgate”?
After saying that the city had done all it could to clear the snow from the Upper East Side of Manhattan, de Blasio was forced to admit that efforts had fallen short.
In a statement, the New York City Mayor said:
“After inspecting the area and listening to concerns from residents earlier today, I determined more could have been done to serve the Upper East Side. Our crews will remain on the streets around the clock until the roadways are clear in every neighborhood, in every borough, across New York City.”
Earlier on Wednesday in a news conference in Brooklyn, de Blasio praised New York City’s sanitation workers:
“(They) had a long night, but they did a hell of a job protecting people although conditions were tough.”
“Nobody was treated differently,” he said of reports that some neighborhoods were left untouched for hours. “I think people need to be mindful when they hurl those charges.”
On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning crews worked tirelessly to clear snow in single digit temperatures, however, during the evening rush hour on Tuesday, with traffic conditions worsening, some residents in Manhattan recalled that de Blasio was one of the leading critics of the response by his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, after a snowstorm in 2010.
Many thought and de Blasio suggested implicitly, that Bloomberg had favored one borough over another on that occasion.
The Mayor’s inauguration had many raising their eyebrows after several of the event speakers blasted outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg and de Blasio later defended his guests.
New York City residents are known for being feisty and many took to social media, after many Upper East Side streets were not plowed as quickly as other areas of the city.
Using the sarcastic New York City humor Twitter users piled on the poor response by the newly elected Mayor’s administration:
Upper east side residents abandoned by de blasio stand on rooftops waiting for Fema or freshdirect
— Desus (@desusnice) January 22, 2014
“By not plowing the Upper East Side, De Blasio is saying, ‘I’m NOT one of them.’ http://t.co/2d9JLKsGBr #tcot
— slone (@slone) January 22, 2014
too late, everybody's DEAD RT @jdawsey1: Mayor de Blasio now says more could be done to help Upper East Side http://t.co/L8aGV1BpfW
— John Herrman (@jwherrman) January 22, 2014
“I’m just shocked how Lexington Avenue looks,” said Irma Ramos, 52, a manager at a packing store at Lexington and 70th Street. “I’ve been working here for nine years.”
New York City officials say the main reason streets were not plowed by the evening rush hour on Tuesday is…traffic.
What do you think of the New York City Mayor’s explanations for not clearing snow covered street in the Upper East Side?
